Interdisciplinary management of orofacial pain and sleep disorders

The following article describes the interdisciplinary collaboration of a dentist with a sleep medicine specialist, by presenting the case of a patient with orofacial pain and sleep disorders. Patients with myofacial pain of the masticatory musculature or arthralgia are particularly prone to suffering from insomnia or from another form of sleep disorder, such as sleep bruxism or sleep-related respiratory disturbances. The identification and reduction of these perpetuating risk factors can be beneficial, with regard to the treatment of painful craniomandibular dysfunctions in the dental practice. Keywords: arthralgia, insomnia, orofacial pain, sleep bruxism, sleep-related breathing disorders, snoring, sleep medicine, temporomandibular disorders